#and i definitely get the appeal of grumpy characters with a heart of gold

[hikaaa-bi]

look, i like that people are interpreting lena’s behavior as her actually caring about her employees. it’s definitely possible but right now, it seems to me like that’s not the case.

i think that lena is just trying to do her job. that’s it. she’s an exhausted corporate worker who probably doesn’t get paid enough for all the shit she has to deal with, she’d rather be eaten by bonzo than make things worse by letting her employees get into trouble. she doesn’t want to clean up the mess they’re going to cause, she definitely doesn’t want to do more paperwork, my girl just wants to survive.

it’s clear that lena is not THE boss, she definitely has higher-ups who are going to blame her if something goes wrong in the OIAR. i think that’s the main reason why she’s being so careful. this is definitely apparent in the most recent episode, where she was more concerned about the computers being destroyed than she was about sam or alice getting hurt. of course, you could say that she doesn’t want to admit that she cares, but i genuinely think that she doesn’t care all that much.

i’m not trying to say she’s evil or apathetic or anything. i just don’t think she has any personal feelings towards her employees. she’s a very exhausted and likely traumatized woman, who is just trying to do her job. she has already had to deal with the externals herself and probably still does, she’s not going to let her employees run around and make things worse.

idk maybe i just like lawful neutral characters too much.

[maniacwatchestheworld]

When there's something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call? Probably not John Constantine...?

I'm still pretty new to these DPxDC spaces, but as I've been exploring it from the perspective of someone currently deep in the throes of DC hyperfixation (and Danny Phantom being a past hyperfixation that I sometimes relapse into) one trend that I find kinda odd (but not necessarily unexpected) is just how prevalent Constantine is in these spaces that are largely dominated by BatFamily AUs and headcanons. Like, I do get it (kind of). Constantine does occasionally show up in Batman stories where Bruce encounters something supernatural and needs consulting on the case, and Constantine definitely appeals to the fandom audience in some pretty clear ways. Yeah, he's a handsome, charming bastard with a secret heart of gold. He's British, witty, cool, and an asshole. He may be one hell of a messy bisexual disaster, but he's OUR messy bisexual disaster, dammit! So we forgive him for being a cynical jerkass sometimes. I haven't consumed much media with him in it, but like... I get it and why out of all the mystical characters that DC has in their roster, why you might choose to include him over other characters. However I do find it kinda odd because like... Constantine is NOT the kind of person that I would see Batman nor anyone in his family particularly going for when they need help when something supernatural comes up... In fact the biggest reason that I haven't seen much from Constantine is that... He just does not appear in a lot of media that Batman is in! So I haven't seen much of him! (In terms of media that I've consumed for the sake of Batman being in it, he's only appeared in Justice League Action. No other animated series for Batman. And he hasn't really been in any recent comics that cross over with Batman that have caught my eye! He didn't even have a story in Knight Terrors!)

Of course there's no shame in using Constantine for your stories. He's popular for a reason, and if he happened to be in the area, then sure, the Bats might grab him to help them with their latest case. But for magic-users that the BatFamily might go to for assistance, he isn't always going to be the best choice. So for anyone who needs a magic-user in their BatPhanfiction, here are a few alternate suggestions.

(Suggestions under the cut for length)

Jason Blood

For people with magical expertise, I would expect the Bat Family to call Jason Blood before anyone else. Jason is old. How old? Old as balls. He's actually been around since the time of Arthurian legend. Apparently he was a scribe for Merlin before being bound to the immortal demon Etrigan which made him immortal too. Having worked for Merlin himself, having some level of innate magic from being bound and therefore sharing a body with a demon, and having been around for hundreds of years, this means that Jason has had plenty of ability and time to learn and practice magic and to perfect his craft. He knows his stuff and has a level of experience that is practically unparalleled on Earth. He's not a man to be trifled with and Batman has worked with him on many an occasion! The biggest reason that the BatFamily would call on him before anyone else? Location, location, location. Jason actually lives in Gotham City, so not only does he have the requisite experience and knowledge, but he's also easy for the BatFamily to get ahold of too! And as a bonus, with a simple rhyme, he can turn into the demon Etrigan who can kick ass on his behalf! Jason may seem to be a bit grumpy and stern on the outside, but he's a reliable ally to have and desires to protect others just as much as Bruce does.

Zatanna Zatara

Zatanna is a stage magician by trade, a master of tricks, illusion, and slight of hand... But she also happens to be among the most powerful actual magic-users in the known DC universe! Honestly, if you know of her and still choose to use Constantine over her in a story when either will do? You're doing yourself a bit of a disservice. Just look at her! She's gorgeous, radiant, optimistic, always has a fun trick up her sleeve, knows how to have a good time, and unlike Constantine, doesn't have the kinds nor number of enemies that he does! And best of all? She's actually buddies with Bruce Wayne! They're good friends! In fact, Bruce trained under her father for a time to learn escape artistry! Honestly it's a bit of a shame that people forget how good of friends they are... They might have dated in the past? But ever since Bruce mastered escape artistry, they've kept in touch! The two honestly would have an unspoken trust with each other and ability to rely on each other that few other characters could have with Bruce. Zatanna is usually on the road performing, but if she's available, she'd likely be more than happy to pop on over to Gotham to help Brucie out with a case! Superman may be Batman's best friend, and Harvey Dent may be Bruce Wayne's best friend... But honestly Zatanna Zatara is a close second place on both accounts! She's GREAT! I crave for her to be included in more stories! WHERE ARE MY AUNTIE ZATANNA AUs!???

Xanthe Zhou

[Image from this post.]

Honestly this is a personal suggestion that I want to see because it's just a damn shame that it doesn't already!

Are you hesitant to use a comic character with a huge backlog of stories that you couldn't possibly hope to get through for fear of messing them up? Do you want to use a canonically LGBT character? Do you want to use a character that's a person of color? What about a character that specializes in interacting with the spirits of the dead for your Danny Phantom crossover fics? Because boy howdy do I have you covered! Say hello to Xanthe Zhou! A nonbinary Chinese-American spirit envoy within the DC universe who first debuted in March of last year (2023)! So guess what! There is no long, confusing continuity to follow! If you want to catch up on all you need to know about them, go ahead and read their 6 issue miniseries Spirit World and you should be covered! And heeeey~ Guess who else is in Spirit World~~~?? One Cassandra Cain and one John Constantine! Plus the art is drop-dead gorgeous!

[Image from this post.]

So please! I beseech you! Check out Spirit World and get to know Xanthe! They are literally everything you are looking for in a character to add to your Danny Phantom and Batman crossover story and are brand-spanking new and it is just a DAMN shame that they aren't already in any DPxDC stories!!! And guess what! They live in Gotham City to boot! (Gotham's Chinatown to be specific.) So please! Do yourself a favor and check out Spirit World and add Xanthe to your stories! If nothing else, I'll certainly read them!

In any case, that's the list and all I can come up with for now! If you have any further suggestions, please don't be afraid to add them on in a reblog! My comics knowledge is very limited and am always happy to hear about other ideas and characters that I've missed! I've actually seen some usage of Klarion the Witch Boy in this phandom which was a pleasant surprise! But sadly, I don't know nearly enough about him to actually say anything about him. But please! Go ahead and tell me about other magic using characters that you think would be suited to the DPxDC universe! And if you make anything of this sort with Xanthe in it... Please send it to me! I want that shit pumped directly into my veins!!!

P.S. I just wanted to say... Batman miiiiight call Santa Claus before he calls Constantine for help on an investigation lol (apparently Bruce apprenticed under Santa for a time :p ).

[quillsandcauldroncakes]

When My Back Was Turned (Ezio Auditore X Reader)

Words: 3645

Warnings/Themes: Injury, Violence, Blood, Not Quite Character Death, Angst, Fluff

Characters/Pairings: Ezio x Reader, Claudia, Mario, Maria (briefly mentioned)

A/N: This is just something I’ve been working on and finally decided to post. I almost didn’t. This isn’t the whole story that I wrote, there is more to the ending, but it felt too rushed for me to want to post it. Some background information for this one, I imagined the reader/ this character as ten years younger than Ezio. And in a form of self-indulgence, she comes from a world where AC is just a game, but I imagine it also has it’s version of Templars and Assassins that no one knows about. Thanks for reading!

They limped up to the villa, having abandoned their horses at the stables at the entrance to the village. Eyes had been glued to the battered pair from the moment they had approached. He wasn’t as badly beaten as she was, only sporting a split lip, a sprained wrist, and various cuts and bruises. He held her upright with an arm gently around her waist. He didn’t want to jostle her bruised, possibly fractured, ribs or her recently dislocated shoulder. She was bleeding from multiple wounds along her face and hands.

They were on their way to what was supposed to be a simple visit to Monteriggioni that turned into an ambush by some mountain bandits. Ezio had made it out relatively well and was already running away, thinking that his wife was just behind him. However, her shout of surprise told him otherwise.

As she had been about to follow him, a couple bandits grabbed her. And before she knew it, they had shoved her over the cliff face. It felt like she had rolled for hours when it had been mere seconds before her hand grabbed onto a young tree sprouting from the rock. It groaned and cracked under her added weight and threatened to break. Upon catching herself, her already damaged body smacked the rock and a sickening pop sounded as her arm left its socket.

Ezio had immediately jumped into action, swiftly dispatching the remaining attackers, and rushing to the cliff's edge. His heart hammered in his chest at the sight of her clinging to that sapling for dear life. She was too far down for him to grab her and she definitely wouldn’t be able to climb back up with her shoulder. Thinking fast, he stripped the cloaks and capes from the fallen bandits and tied them together into a makeshift rope. She could barely keep a hold of it as he pulled her back up to safety.

He held her close to him, petting her sweaty and bloody hair. He whispered comforting words to her as she shook against him. He knew she was scared of heights and falling, the reason for her refusing to free-run on certain buildings and to do a Leap of Faith, unless absolutely necessary. However, in this situation, she hadn’t been in control and it terrified her.

Once she had quieted down, Ezio sat her up properly and told her he needed to reset her shoulder. She had nodded somberly and let him pop it back into place without a peep. Ezio almost found it amusing how she can take the pain of a dislocated shoulder with only a wince, but she couldn’t handle heights. But now wasn’t the time to tease her.

Recovering their horses that had run off with their packs, the pair made their way back to Monteriggioni.

A doctor was already waiting for them as they entered the villa, some kind villager sending for one when they saw the two. Mario and Claudia stood with the doctor, the older female’s hands over her mouth, and Y/N was practically unconscious by the time they made it to the trio.

Mario swept up to take the woman into his arms, allowing Ezio to cradle his wrist and follow them into their shared room. (Y/n) was placed gently on the bed and the doctor immediately began his treatment. Ezio collapsed into the chair at the foot of the bed, his armor digging uncomfortably into his flesh.

“What happened?” Mario began his interrogation before Ezio could get his bearings. Shaking his head, Ezio began to carefully remove his armor. Claudia was already helping the doctor remove (Y/n)’s, who moaned in pain. The younger man’s eyes fixed on her at the sound.

Seeing that his nephew was not going to answer him now, Mario rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. Until (Y/n) was cared for and out of danger, Mario knew Ezio wouldn’t speak to anyone about the mission. This wasn’t the first time this has happened, but it is the worst condition either of them had been in in a long time.

“Once you two are rested, meet me in my office to discuss what happened.” Mario placed a hand on Ezio’s shoulder, squeezing gently. The younger man simply nodded, not wanting to take his eyes off his wife.

Nearly an hour later, (Y/n)’s wounds were patched up and Claudia had changed her into a loose shirt and pants. Ezio’s wrist had been wrapped and put into a sling and his lip cared for. He had moved his chair to be right next to her as she slept, tucked into the bed and her favorite blanket pulled up to her nose, just the way she liked it. He wished he could curl up with her in that bed, but on doctor’s orders, she was not to be moved around too much or her ribs would not heal properly.

Ezio knew he should probably go find his uncle but speaking to anyone and leaving his wife’s side didn’t sound very appealing. So he sat in his chair, watching as her eyes flickered behind her eyelids. She must be having a bad dream. As she often does after a particularly bad mission.

He reached over and stroked her cheek with his good hand, smiling softly when she nuzzled into his hand. She would probably wake in the morning grumpy and very hungry. An angel when she was asleep but a terrifying beast upon awakening. Ezio smiled wider at the thought. She would definitely kill him had she known his thoughts.

At some point in the late evening, Claudia knocked and left some food on the table next to him, squeezing his shoulder and telling him to eat and rest. He nodded and picked at the food. The roasted duck didn’t quite smell or taste as appealing as it did when he wasn’t consumed with worry.

Many times has he tried to convince his wife to retire from Assassin duties, to stay safe and live life to the fullest while she was still young. But those conversations usually ended with him sleeping on the floor and her not speaking to him for a full evening. How dare he think that she would ever let him face the dangers they did alone.

After eating as much as he could stomach, he carefully stripped from his robes and stepped behind the partition in the room. A tub filled with water sat in the corner, filled earlier with hot water by a maid. By now the water was less than lukewarm, but he hardly felt it as he lowered himself in. She had already been cleaned by Claudia with a cloth and a basin of water.

The partition was positioned so he could still see her on the bed when he leaned back. On his own terms, he would have just climbed into bed after changing into a sleeping shirt, but since he began courting her, she always refuses him to enter her bed unless clean.

‘I don’t want my bed smelling like blood, metal, and sweat!’ She had yelled at him early on in their relationship. No matter where they were if there was a bed, she had to be clean before entering it. He figured it came from whatever futuristic upbringing she had.

He still vividly remembers that day, he had just brought the Apple to Leonardo’s workshop with his uncle and Niccolò for the artist to study. When Leonardo had reached out to touch it a bright, golden light engulfed the room and a figure fell from thin air. Ezio had rushed forward to catch the person.

She was unconscious and dressed in strange clothes. But he wouldn’t lie, this stranger was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. In the next few days they had found out she came from a different world, far in the future. She had been tasked by a being called Minerva to guide Ezio on his journey.

Six years had now gone by and she had since become a master assassin and his wife. His gaze fell down to his bruised knuckles. A gold wedding band laid just above one, on his left ring finger. He didn’t normally wear it on missions but seeing as how this was supposed to be just a visit back to Monteriggioni, he had worn it proudly. It had a red smudge of blood on it. Removing it from his finger, he washed it in the waters.

Finishing up in the tub, he threw on a sleeping shirt and stepped quietly over to the bed. He was always hesitant when sleeping with her when she was injured. He was either a fitful sleeper or a cuddler. Neither one is very good for her injured state. But he knew she wouldn’t rest as well without him next to her. So being cautious, he placed a few pillows between them before fully settling in. He laid on his side, careful of his wrist, and gently stroked a knuckle across her soft cheek.  

Her lips quirked up and she turned her head to nuzzle into his hand. He let a gentle smile take over his face. Even battered and weary, she still found a reason to smile. Pride swelled in his chest at being the reason for her smiles most of the time. A truly beautiful thing to behold.

“Buonanotte, amore mio.” He withdrew his hand, but let it rest on her stomach. As his eyes closed, he felt calloused fingers wrap around his.

“Buonanotte, Bello.” Her voice was raspy and quiet, but it was still the sweetest sound he'd ever heard.

________________________________________________________________

A knock to the solid wood door roused him from his dreamless sleep. As predicted, he had moved a lot in his sleep. Now he laid on his back, arms sprawled out and one leg tossed over the barrier of pillows, his foot tucked under her leg. The sheets had bunched around his waist and the duvet tossed over her slumbering body. Drool was crusted to the side of his mouth and his hair was in disarray. She, of course, looked positively heavenly, despite her injuries.

Rising from the bed, Ezio straightened his appearance and moved to the door as a second knock sounded. The kind Doctor from the previous day had returned, most likely to change her bandages. Behind the elderly man was Claudia, a tray with fruits, bread, and two small bowls of soup on it.

“Ah, Dottore, Buongiorno. Come in.” Ezio stepped to the side, letting the two into the room. He excused himself to behind the partition to change into more presentable clothes. It was somewhat difficult with only one good arm, but he managed. After struggling to button his shirt up with one hand he gave up, stepping out from the partition. Claudia rolled her eyes and buttoned his shirt up for him.

“Nothing but a child.” She grumbled, poking him roughly in the chest. He chuckled, rubbing the spot.

“Careful, Claudia, I still have uses for him.” A raspy voice came from the bed. Claudia’s attention snapped over to her sister-in-law.

“(Y/N)!” The siblings rushed to the bed, leaving enough space for the doctor. “How are you feeling?” Claudia questioned. The younger woman gave a pained smile as the Doctor peeled back the bandage on one of her deeper wounds.

“Like hell, to be honest. And I’d kill for some ibuprofen…” She bit her lip and pressed her head further into the pillows when the doctor dabbed an alcohol-soaked rag into the wound. Ezio took a step closer, worry flooding his veins. He truly hated seeing her in such a state. He was beating himself up inside for not getting to her sooner.

“I can give you a poultice to take the edge away around your ribs.” The doctor began rewrapping her wounds. “I’d advise you twist or move around as little as possible for the next few weeks to give your ribs time to heal, and only wear loose clothing. Your other bandages must be changed every eight hours.”

“Grazie, Dottore.” The woman nodded in appreciation. The doctor smiled and set a small jar of the poultice on the bedside table. After giving a few instructions on the next few weeks of healing, he bid the three farewell and departed.

“I’m glad you’re already doing better, mia sorella.” Claudia sat on the edge of the bed, taking Y/N’s hand in hers. “You had me worried sick seeing you return like that.” She lightly scolded.

“Sorry, Claudia. Next time I’ll tell those bandits to not attack us. Just because you worry about me.” Y/N smiled.

“Piccola merda.” The two women laughed, only to be cut off from the grunt of pain from the junior. Ezio finally stepped forward, still silent as before. He took the jar and removed the lid, setting it on the table.

Claudia stood up out of the way of the man on a mission. His face was drawn into a concentrated frown and he refused to look at his wife’s scratched-up face. With stiff and precise movements, he pulled up her shirt to just under her breast. Her skin was a vivid purple, the bruise forming overnight. His brows furrowed deeper at the sight.

His sister excused herself, sensing that the two needed to talk. But not before directing her brother to make sure to feed his wife the soup she had brought. He merely grunted in response, dipping two fingers into the greasy concoction.

Despite his angry demeanor and calloused hands, his touch was feather-light on her skin as he spread the poultice on her ribs. Her eyes didn’t leave his face as he worked. It had been so long that either one of them had been injured like this that Ezio was having a hard time controlling his emotions.

“Bello…” Her voice was just a whisper, but it had his finger freezing over her skin. He sniffed and grabbed a rag to wipe his hands clean. “Ezio. Look at me.” Her fingers closed around his wrist, tugging him down to sit next to her. He slowly brought his eyes up to meet hers. And the tears immediately sprung to his eyes.

“Oh, my love…” Her own vision blurred with tears and she threaded her fingers with his. “It’s okay, I’m okay.”

“I should have been faster… I should have made sure you were following me…I’m so sorry, mia bella.” He covered his face with his free hand, the other squeezing her fingers. His chest constricted with suppressed sobs.

“Ezio.” Her voice was soft but stern. He managed to look at her again. “This is not your fault. You had no way of knowing what was going to happen, not even your sixth sense could have predicted this… I don’t blame you for this happening, so I don’t want you to blame yourself either.”

He sniffled and wiped the tears from his face.

“And besides, I promised to kick the ass of anyone who wronged you. So don’t make me kick your ass when I get out of this bed.” She gave him her signature lopsided grin. He let a laugh escape him despite the want to sob instead.

“Now, I’m starving, so help me sit up.”

“Sì, Signora.” Ezio helped her up and placed the tray of food in her lap. There was just enough for the two of them. They ate in silence for a few minutes, not realizing how hungry they were.

“The real tragedy here though is that I think I lost my hairpin down the side of that cliff.” She pouted as she popped a strawberry into her mouth. The dainty gold hairpin had been an anniversary gift from Ezio two years ago and she wore it every time they took a break.

Ezio chuckled. “I shall buy you all the hairpins until the void of missing that one is filled.”

“Oh, my dear, I fear your wallet will weep. As it may take all the hairpins in the world for the hole in my chest to be filled.” She feigned distress, pressing the back of her bandaged hand to her forehead.

A yawn suddenly forced its way from her, stretching her chest painfully.

“You should sleep, it will help you heal.” Ezio cleared the tray and set it next to the door. His wrist twinged. He almost forgot his own injury. Despite the pain though, he once again helped his wife lay down and pulled the blankets up to her chin. Her eyes batted slowly up at him; her lips pursed ever so slightly. He huffed a laugh and bent down to press a slow kiss to her waiting lips.

“I will be back before you wake again, mia bella.” After kissing her forehead, he made sure she closed her eyes then left the room. He had to report to his uncle about the attack. Not something he looked forward to.

________________________________________________________________

It took a little less than six weeks for her to be fully healed. Her ribs still twinged dully when she twisted wrong, but daily stretches were quickly strengthening her muscles again. Ezio had finally broken his moody attitude now that she was up and walking.

The pair had stayed in Monteriggioni while she healed but constantly corresponded with the others in the Brotherhood. But today, the two were finally returning to Venezia to continue their search for Savonarola and The Apple.

She knew Ezio was anxious to resume their search, but despite being injured, she was glad they had somewhat of a break. She knew it would be around this time that Savonarola would be making his way into Firenze to steal control from the Medici. In the next three years, they will be storming the city to take down the corrupt monk. And then they won’t have a moment to breathe.

“Tesoro, are you ready to go?” Ezio’s voice brought her back from her thoughts. She smiled up at her husband and nodded. They were already packed and had their horses ready for the long journey. She hugged Mario, Claudia, and Maria goodbye as they met them at the town's entrance. She mounted her horse, Ezio on his horse trotting up next to her.

Waving, the pair left the town. And for the next eight years, they fought tooth and nail against the Templars. They defeated Savonarola, regained the apple, took down Rodrigo, and returned to Monteriggioni. Got run out of said town and came to Rome. Together, they began the rebellion against Cesare, starting with destroying the machines he forced Leonardo to make for him.

The two had destroyed all but one, the naval cannon. Following the engineer and getting past the guards was the easy part. Burning the blueprints was also easy. But when it came to actually destroying the machine and the naval fleet, that had proved to be more difficult.

Ezio rowed the gondola while she manned the Cannon. And slowly but surely, they dispatched the large ships. They had survived a few near-hits, the small boat rocking violently, the ropes and extra ammunition sliding around on the floor.

She cheered as the last ship went down in flames, Ezio breathlessly laughing next to her. His arms were on fire from rowing.

Y/N turned the Cannon, facing down onto itself. She looked over to her husband with a grin. “Would you care to do the honors, messere?”

“Don’t mind if I do.” Ezio wrapped his hand around the firing mechanism, “Perdonatemi, Leonardo.” He pulled back on the lever and they both turned to dive off the side of the boat.

But as she had said once, many years ago, they could not have predicted this.

As the boat had been rocking from enemy fire, and she moved around, a rope had looped itself into the perfect snare around her foot. When she jumped from the boat, it tightened, the other end is tied off on the metal machine. She had dived perfectly, was swimming next to Ezio as the explosion went off.

And then she was yanked back.

As the Cannon sunk to the bottom of the bay the rope tightened even more around her leg. She was quickly running out of air as she tried to free herself. Her hidden blade picked the wrong time to jam, if only she cleaned it as often as she should have.

Ezio was just about to break the surface when he turned to look at her. And his blood went as cold as the water around him. Managing to take a deep breath at the surface, he dove back down, swimming as fast as he could. She was sinking fast, faster than he could keep up. He watched desperately as she finally gave up, looking up at him and giving him an apologetic smile.

“NO!” The word only came out as a bubbled scream, mixing with the last bit of air leaving her body. Her eyes slipped shut and she descended into the dark depths. Out of his vision.

Not caring about his swiftly depleting oxygen supply, Ezio continued to swim after her. His lungs burned and his arms and legs grew slower. Just when he thought he was going to pass out as well, a bright golden light illuminated the bay, he could see the outline of the Cannon as it sunk. But not her.

The ache in his chest became too much and his body moved to the surface on its own. His head broke the surface and he gasped for air. His body was filled with relief, but his mind was a typhoon of emotions. Panic, confusion, grief.

He knew that light, he had seen it fourteen years ago when she first entered this world.

And just as she had come, she disappeared just as quickly.

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 3X02 - Lost Girl

One question before we start: If you’re in the mood for fast food in Neverland, where do you go?

…

The PAN-da Express, of course!!!

It’s okay! You can laugh!

Thank you, Pan!

Anyway, my review, as always, is under the cut!

Press Release

While Emma, Mary Margaret, David, Regina and Hook continue their search for Henry in Neverland, Peter Pan appears before a startled Emma and offers her a map that will reveal her son’s whereabouts. But the only way to make the map appear is for Emma to stop denying who she really is and come to grips with her true feelings about her identity - and Mr. Gold receives some unexpected advice from a friend that could lead him to understand his life’s journey while in Neverland. Meanwhile, in the Fairy Tale Land that was, when the Evil Queen presents Snow White with an offer to live her life with Charming in peace - with the caveat that she give up her claim to the throne - Charming makes it his mission to ensure that Snow doesn’t take the offer.

General Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness

Past

Is it just me, or does this plan of Regina’s feel REALLY out of character (And keep in mind that that is a phrase I do NOT use loosely)? Regina’s never wanted Snow to live and even if she takes the throne, Snow will still be left with her closest loved ones and as Snow later says, they’ll live a happy beautiful life, so her “take everything that was supposed to be yours” schtick kind of falls flat. That said, the spirit of what she’s going for does work due to the severity of taking over the land and Snow and David’s reaction to it.

But that aspect aside, there’s a solid story here. Snow’s conflict is understandable, as is David’s as is Grumpy’s. It’s a simple story, but it was done effectively to run parallel with the main story.

Present

I think it’s so interesting what’s done with Emma in this episode. Because she’s the Savior, Emma is put on this pedestal (Even by Pan -- sort of), one she’s now actively trying to embody for the first time. And she needs to look deep within and discover what that means in order to succeed and unlock the secrets of the map. Everyone believes she’s the Savior -- and she is -- but despite the emphasis being put on that, it’s only be relinquishing the mindset of a Savior that allows the map to show itself. And honestly, it’s done well! The positioning of the group -- and more importantly, Emma -- against the Lost Boys puts Emma and Snow in the perfect place for her revelation. Additionally, the connection she makes to them now comes back later when she appeals to them.

The secondary conflict presented throughout this segment is also great. From a character perspective, we get to see a much more reserved set of arguments between the group than last time, and everyone is painted with sympathy. Killian’s points are right, but it makes the fact that they have to wait so long to get Henry no less frustrating.

Finally, Rumple’s conflict interestingly enough reminds me of Snow’s from “The Miller’s Daughter.” If you recall, Snow was full on ready to try to kill Cora, but when faced with a real possibility of doing exactly that, that’s when she got afraid (Though was still able to do it). I almost wanted to fault Rumple’s story here because he’s been so adamant about saving Henry at his own expense and to falter in this episode felt strange, but in those terms, it really does work itself out. It fits well with Rumple’s character and allows for more of a story to take place as a result.

All Encompassing

Emma and Snow’s conflicts are resolved in the opposite way. For Snow, she has to straight up step up into leadership through her boost of confidence. For Emma, she has to step away from her role as the Savior and embrace being an orphan (A lessening of her confidence) to unlock the map.

“Who you are.” It’s important that Snow was the one to get through to Emma here. Otherwise, a flashback that would was essential for establishing the link between these two women that served as the heart of the episode would have been borderline needless (or at the very least, misplaced).

Insights - Stream of Consciousness

-Rumple’s got one hell of a smoulder! Flynn Rider, eat your heart out!

-WHY WOULD YOU BRING YOUR DAGGER TO NEVERLAND? RUMPLE, YOU ARE SUCH AN EXTRA DRAMA QUEEN! I mean, don’t stop or anything. I kind of love you for it.

-I really like the handling of magic in this arc. They’re cleverly tackling why they just can’t poof their way through this mission.

-David, Killian gave you a minute-long explanation about why that wouldn’t work. Let go of your fucking machismo for a few seconds!

-”It is NEVER too late.” Now Snow, only a Sith deals in absolutes!

-Guys, I LOVE Snow and Charming’s iconic moment, but the Law of Diminishing Returns exists for a reason. This is the third time we see this moment, and there are at least two more to come!

-I actually really like how no one in the town is willing to fight with Snow at first. It’s not just a matter of Snow needing to learn to be more of a leader or them being cowardly, but they’ve never fought before and they’re going against what they may believe is either the first or second most powerful magic wielder in all the realms. It makes this for a very meaty story.

-I LOVE how the crying that awakens and draws Emma deeper into the jungle plays into the theme of Emma growing into motherhood.

-”You’ve got fire. I like fire.” I remember hearing people used to ship Emma and Pan and...no. Just no.

-”Sadly, I agree with the pirate.” YESS! Captain Charming!!!

-I LOVE protective big brother Grumpy! See, when people infantize or otherwise try to downplay Grumpy’s role in the royal family or where he stands (*cough* “A Wondrous Place” *cough*), I think to this scene. Grumpy is more than just Snow’s friend. He became family. I’m thoroughly convinced that he would’ve been Emma’s godfather had the curse never been cast because he and Snow were just that close.

-David, there’s a difference between overcoming a memory spell and boosting someone’s confidence on its own.

-Rumple, you beautiful drama queen, you give new definition to “the clothes make the man.”

-You know, I forget, but Sheep Bros was a very real thing in the EF too!

-I love the...PAN around the group as Emma tackles the map!

-Aww, Snow and David look so happy when Emma calls herself their daughter!

-Whoever was doing the score for the red herring with the map must’ve been having a fucking ball. Listen to how the music swells! XD

-”For once, I agree with the Prince.” MORE CAPTAIN CHARMING! YASSS!

-David! Drop the machismo!

- “Just as you charmed me. Eventually.” Snow, who are you fooling?! You lasted a DAY before you were smitten!

-Ooh! I forgot we got our first mention of Merlin here!

-Is Camelot really qualify as a realm? Seems like one can just get there on foot based on Season 5, whereas usually, to go between realms, you need magic (Ex. The Cyclone to Oz, the silver slippers, the Dark Curse) to go through the barriers.

-I wonder how much A&E knew about the future of OUAT when they first brought up Excalibur here. Was Camelot in their sights?

-Isham must’ve had a fucking BALL with composing the music for these red herrings!

-Two things. (1) Pan dressed in Henry’s clothes is creepy AF! (2) Do you think this was foreshadowing Pan and Henry changing bodies?

-One of the looming questions in this fandom is “What did Killian do to Rufio?” Some people think killing Rufio was the price of being free of Neverland, but based on how Killian talks, I’m not convinced. He says “It’ll be a worse fate for you” and then just keeps on fighting him. To me, it always seemed like to get off of Neverland for good, Killian had to do something worse than usual, something he borderline regretted. But that’s not the Killian that says that line and mentions Rufio so flippantly. Thoughts?

-I’m kind of miffed that we never saw Pan “caw.” That’s his thing! Why didn’t he caw?!

-Another show of just how much Snow cares about Grumpy. Of everyone there, David included, Regina chokeholds Snow’s brother figure! That’s amazing!

-Rumple screaming “WHAT DO YOU WANT?” after being summoned cracks me the fuck up!

-I love the flutter-y way Rumple dissolves “Excalibur!”

-Rumple! That was so fucking rude!

-Snow! Don’t kill David’s bro down!

-Am I the only one getting Talking Tina vibes from the Peter Pan doll?

-”You haven’t forgiven your parents for abandoning you.” This wasn’t brought up all that much afterwards, was it, nor the conflict that Pan brings up about Henry not forgiving her?

-See, David? THAT’S what machismo gets you!

Arcs - How Are These Storylines Progressing?

The Mission to Save Henry - We really get to see everyone working together more and find out the intricacies of just how they’re going to save Henry. It feels like a very logical step from the last episode.

Emma Accepting Her Parents - Now THIS is the start I wanted! While Emma defaults to calling MM “Mom” in the Season 2 finale, once things become real and the ground is sturdy again, her fears return, and I know for a fact that we see this come fact in the finale (It’s also interesting how a similar element of Emma’s personality in this regard shows up just a couple of seasons later). Additionally, while I don’t think it connects to what we saw in the previous episode, we see more of what’s holding Emma back from making more of a connection to her parents.

Rumple’s Redemption - “Did the protection spell work?” That’s legitimately the first time that Rumple’s show such strong care for the town at large. Also, I love the foreshadowing at work for Rumple’s self-preservation habit to rear its head again.

Killian’s Redemption - We really get to see more of the payoff of Killian’s redemption here. He’s a complete asset to the team with his knowledge of Neverland and Pan, a source of support for Emma, is helping David despite David’s (understandable) rudeness, and is risking his life.

Regina’s Redemption - Here, we see Regina able to take another step further in her redemption. She’s frustrated about her current situation -- forced to trust her enemies and not use magic in the way she’d want -- and it’s understandably so. But the work she puts into going along with the group is honestly admirable and her breaking point feels natural and well placed.

Favorite Dynamic

Pan and Emma. I think Pan and Emma’s interactions speak so much of Pan as a character. Why would he give Emma a map to Henry? Because he’s a cocky son of a bitch and he likes fucking with people. He does whatever he can to make this game of his all the more fun. Can he manipulate Henry before the group gets to him? He’s pretty sure he’ll win, but damnit if he wants to find out. And even by giving Emma the map, a nice chunk of her confidence is taken away in the process. Because of this episode, we see our main hero and main villain of the arc confront each other and get to eyeball their strengths and weaknesses, making something truly compelling.

Writer

For the first time, Andrew Chambliss is not writing with Ian Goldberg, and while I’m sad for that, I’m happy to say that his new team up with Kalinda Vazquez was simply superb! There’s a strong thematic resonance between the different segments and the smaller scale of the story works to its benefit. Everything is simple in the broad strokes, but given nuance within them and that’s what makes the story as a whole so effective. The dialogue is also very good here. It feels incredibly natural and real, as all of the best episodes do.

Rating

Golden Apple (If you’re new here, that’s a 10/10 with an * for superb quality). This is one of the best setup episodes. We get to see the extent of Neverland’s dangers and Pan’s influence, but also our heroes strengths and weaknesses as they combat them. Their teamwork on the island debuts, giving us a scale of their potential, but also their starting point so that the later moments where we can see how far they’ve come can be all the more appreciated. But more so than that, it’s a great story. Emma gets a meaningful look into who she is and the failings she is now forced to deal with and overcome. There’s a great thematic resonance between her story and Snow’s story, building to an emotional revelation. Rumple is also given some exemplary character work! It’s just a great episode!

Flip My Ship - The Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness”

Captain Swan - Watching Emma and Killian flirting has me grinning like an idiot! The flirting itself feels natural and charming! Also, HOLY SHIT! Right after Emma says she’s the product of True Love, the camera shoots to Killian! AND when all is said and done, Emma and Killian are together, sipping their rum and getting just that bit closer together!

Snowing - Snowing is soooo adorable cuddling as they sleep! I’m thoroughly convince Josh Dallas walks on this Earth for the sole purpose of cuddling and looking good while doing it! <3 Also, in the past, I love how the arrow only lands when they work together!

Rumbelle - I almost hesitate putting them here because this Belle is an imposter, but I’ll be damned if it isn’t a good one! Seeing Rumple and Belle hold hands as their theme plays is just cute as fuck! Also, just like the real Belle, fake Belle gives great advice too!

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So far, so good!!! Loving Season 3 so far! How about you? Also, let me know what you think of the new theme I’m using and the formatting of these reviews! I’m trying something new and I want to know if I’m doing them right!

Thank you for reading and to the fine folks at @watchingfairytales for giving me a chance to write these reviews! Next time, we meet someone who’s by no means common! (Tink, tink, nudge, nudge, say no more!)

See you guys then!

Season 3 Total (19/220)

Writer’s Scores: Adam and Eddy (9/60) Kalinda Vazquez (10/40) Andrew Chambliss (10/50)

Operation Rewatch Archives

[burmecianblackmage]

Just for the sake of getting my thoughts out, I figured I’d make a list of potential muses I have considered  roleplaying, plus some pros and cons to them. Dunno if any of them will ever be made, but still fun to consider them sometimes. If you like any of them, feel free to say so!

Hurdy (FF Tactics Advance 2)

I have been considering the little moogle bard for a long time. He would certainly be quite fun to play, and I could let my love of music flow into his depiction in all its glory - a tempting thought. Plus, from what I see, there aren’t exactly many moogle muses around these days, so he could be a welcome change of pace for many interested partners. And other than Sceada, he would be generally perceived as cute!

As for cons, well, there is on one hand that he could quickly feel a bit one-dimensional, especially if I let my love of music run rampant with him. Of course, I could flesh him out more, but on what do I base it? There is not that much on him besides the usual stuff we see in most TA2 chars. Sticking with your friends, trusting them - and playing the Victory Fanfare. Could be cool, but could also run it’s course quickly if things don’t take off as hoped.

Noraxias Rhogar (DnD 5e Dragonborn Paladin)

Blame the sudden influx of DnD muses on my dash for this one. Rhogar is the white (because ice ice baby!) dragonborn I play in my DnD group, which sadly does not get to meet all that often. Thus he is not really all that fleshed out from the rp side, but maybe playing him here could help me with that?

A Lawful Good character could prove a challenge as I’m more used to ones willing to break a law if it can be justified, but at least he’s not a complete killjoy like other Paladins I’ve heard about. Seeing how he prays to Bahamut and swore the Oath of the Ancients he’s a bit more lenient in what he will allow his group to do - something my group btw tends to push to it’s limits quite often...

Tsuzurao/Ninetales (Okami)

I’ve long since been pondering an Okami muse and had many on my list: Waka, Issun, Oki... - all great choices, so who to pick? It’s difficult to name a muse out of these three, so I felt conflicted. Then I thought about Rao - and realized something:

If I played her, then I essentially got three muses for the price of one.

I can play her as the true Rao, the devoted, humble priestess, I can play her as the Rao we get to know, Tsuzurao with her sometimes unintentional sex appeal and sinister scheming, and I can play her as Ninetales, who was imo the most interesting of the bosses - Quite a nice package if I say so!

I’d probably need to get back deeper into the game again for that to work out though, and then there’s also the question whether I could do all three of them justice - I don’t exactly have a stellar rep sheet when it comes to female muses I’m afraid...

Louisoix Leveilleur (FF XIV)

I’ve always been fascinated by him and his wisdom, as well as his prophecies, and truth be told he is a big part of the reason I regret not having played in Legacy where we could really interact with him and learn about him. I feel he’s an interesting muse, even more so now following his fate after Carteneau, and I’m sure there’d be people interested in him.

But do I really know enough about him to play him well? Would I be able to amass that knowledge needed to fill his shoes? And how would he fit in with other XIV muses, given his status in the game’s current story? All questions I’d need to find answers to...

Ryudo (Grandia 2)

The sassy swordsman running from his past but with a heart of gold deep down somewhere is an interesting one. He could be fun to toss at muses who are a bit on the naive side, just as much as he could be fun to throw against the more fighty muses. And he certainly can hold his own in battle, no doubt.

At the same time, his fandom is small and all but forgotten. Tell me: How many of you even know who he is and what he looks like without looking him up? Grandia 2 was a big thing in 2000 but then got gradually forgotten - a pity, for it’s an interesting game. But yeah, might be hard to find people interested in him.

Master Xehanort (Kingdom Hearts series)

If there ever was a big bad with a convoluted plan, it’s him. And still, he manages to have so much style in his original incarnation! Maybe it’s Leonard Nimoy’s voice that sells him. Either way, he is an interesting character. Always a step ahead of the others, using them as puppets for his schemes... - would be quite the interesting change.

But would I even be able to play a bad guy like him? I mean, even as someone who played all parts multiple times I find it hard at times to follow his schemes, how am I supposed to be the one scheming them? And I have a feeling he might not be that popular a muse to interact with, simply because he’s an old grumpy evil mastermind...

Tamiyo (Magic: The Gathering)

I’ve been a fan of Magic for a long time. I have a deck from the first german printed run still, that my math teacher gifted me before I left her class for gymnasium, I like to follow the story and read up on what happened before I really got into it, and I am excited for the upcoming stuff. Amonkhet looks so sweet!

But the one plane that always stuck with me is councidntally also the first one I really got invested in: Kamigawa. I just loved the flavor of it, how it felt, the mythology it created - ah, I wish we would return there one day! And maybe get a Nazumi planeswalker? No? Aww... was worth the try.

Anyhow, Tamiyo as the Planeswalker from Kamigawa always fascinated me. As a scholar and researcher she fits in with what I am familiar with from Sceada, and the way her magic works is simply amazing. Using stories you collected as the catalysts for your spells? You just became the most amazing storyteller of the Multiverse, hands down.

Question is just, would I do her justice? And would a MTG muse even find people interested in her? Also, how’d I handle all these stories best?

Count Cidolfus Orlandeau (FF Tactics)

Again one that you can blame on the number of FFT muses suddenly on my dash, but really... Where have you all been? xD I always loved Tactics, and daresay it’s in my Top 5 FFs, and there were just so many impressive and interesting characters in it.

I’d probably go with Thunder God Cid should I pick a Tactics muse up, in part because I’m already used to playing badass swordsman that are practically unrivaled in their game (Hi Kamiizumi, how’ve you been?), so it seems fitting.

I’d definitely need to replay the game and read it’s lore though - Tactics can get quite complex after all. And opposed to us who learn things from Ramza’s perspective, I’d have to think about how much Cid could have known at any given point in the story... - but it’d definitely be interesting. I just hope I wouldn’t be perceived as being too overpowered...

Altenatively, I have also considered adding a One Piece verse to Sceada. He could easily be a rat mink who dresses a bit oddly, knows electro and is a capable physical fighter as opposed to a mage. And who knows? Maybe he could just stumble across the reborn Yuki-Yuki no Mi...

Question is just, if any One Piece muses would even be open to playing with him... Hrmmm...

[theonceoverthinker]

OUAT 2X12 - In the Name of the Brother

Brother (Or sister, or any other sibling, real or metaphorical), can you spare the time...to read my latest review?

Great! Head below the cut!

Press Release Dr. Whale is tasked with mending Hook’s wounds and performing surgery on the stranger whose car crashed upon entering Storybrooke. But some of the townspeople fear that the stranger may have seen magic – which could expose their true identities to the world – and think that leaving him to die would be the best solution. Meanwhile, as Mr. Gold tries to reunite with a despondent Belle, Cora attempts to reunite with daughter Regina; and in the land that was, Victor desperately wants to prove to his disapproving father that he can, indeed, bring back the dead. General Thoughts - Characters/Stories/Themes and Their Effectiveness Past This is one of the most visually appealing segments in the entire series. The World of Black and White is such a crazy concept, but it absolutely rocks. The style and the use of color make it so hard to forget and it really makes for a world that feels like none other, something that the other realms aren’t always able to do. And when Rumple appears, it’s such a contrast. Like, had this not been done so carefully, the mix of a technicolor Rumple in a world like this would’ve looked sloppy, but instead, it’s as every bit as magical as one could imagine or want it to be. I also like how the acknowledgment of this distinction is never too much of a distraction for the characters. Rumple (And his gold) definitely pops out from the rest of the crowd, but they never stop to think about that in terms of the schematics of their world. I’m glad about this because it doesn’t invite a feeling of distraction away from the story. Finally, let’s talk about music because the music here definitely delivers on the dark gothic atmosphere of the world, and it starts to blend with our world as Rumple shows up. As for the story itself, it’s pretty basic -- good, but basic. It’s essentially a darker “Aladdin” and a gentler Frankenstein story mixed in to one. And it’s cool! Really, it is! The unique take on Frankenstein is cool and having Rumple be what amounts to a jerk genie in it gives a fun spin. However, there’s not that much that’s worth touching upon apart from the style. Present So, the present segment finds itself pretty divided among our main cast and as mixed as the plotlines get, so are my impressions of them.

Emma and co don’t really have much of a story, per se, but act as passive reactants to everything else at play, and to be fair, that’s the most that could be expected of them in this scenario. I found that the debate over whether to let Greg live or not compelling enough, but thankfully not made to be such a big deal, especially when the main players generally don’t harm innocents. Still, it was nice to have Grumpy and Gold to list off the problems that Greg’s existence could present as something to think about (And to be fair, I guess it was something to do before the crazed Plot Hole Police arrived to badger A&E over for years, if they hadn’t already at this point).

Watching Regina and Cora interact is the most uncomfortable thing in the world, and I mean that in the best way possible. Cora, whether true in her love for Regina or not, still manages to squirm her way into Regina’s heart where she knows she’s unwelcome. It’s honestly sinister seeing her apologize for things that we know she doesn’t mean (Making Regina marry Leopold and framing her for Archie’s “death”), but eventually convince Regina regardless. And to Regina’s credit, Cora only gets him by plucking the nerve of her most recent dilemma: Earning Henry’s trust back. Seeing Regina cradling in Cora’s neck is so awful, like seeing a spider ensnare her prey.

Finally, what the hell brought on Whale’s bout into depression? I guess it was seeing the watch which reminded him of his brother, but he was clearly drinking before he got the watch, so what gives? Was is because he couldn’t get sent back to his realms a few episodes ago because that wasn’t even in the “Previously On” section? Like, I’m sorry, but we see Whale on the verge of committing suicide. That’s a serious topic to show, especially for the very real way that Whale attempts it. There needs to either be more of a focus on Whale’s present situation to get to that point. I will say, there is a redemption here by Ruby because her speech at least connects more to the past segment in how Whale can’t change the past, but can change the future.   Insights - Stream of Consciousness -As a victim of a car crash, seeing that again wasn’t traumatic at all! *nervous shudder* -Killian, this is the exact worst time to be an instigator! What the hell?! -This is also the filming spot for my OTHER favorite blooper. I’ll give you a hint: Anyone down for some crushed nuts? -Credit to Emma and David for knowing exactly how to tame Rumple! Small moments like these give a nice amount of payoff for the respective dynamics! -”From the outside?” I feel like if this had happened during the last episode, I probably would’ve put that Peter Griffin meme here about matching the titles in the dialogue. -I love the opening title card here! I normally love them all, but the distinction of color is just magnificent here! -Whale, don’t drink on the job! -”That’s your cross to bear, I suppose.” Victor, making puns is my schtick! -”He’ll cool off.” Gerhardt, your dad wasn’t even mad. I’d say Victor was madder. -Emma’s coming into Killian’s hospital room all confident and I am so here for this! And looks like Killian agrees! -Killian sees he’s chained. “You’re really into this, aren’t you?” Killian is just getting the best lines here and I am also here for this! XD -”If I had to pick dead guy of the year? I’d pick you.” Give it a couple more seasons, Emma. -I love how Ruby knew there were 10,000 combos right off the top of her head! She’s so smart! -”A LinkedIn account.” Not only is this dude a loser, BUT he’s now spamming the few people that can stand him with invitations to certify that he knows PowerPoint! He’s a MONSTER, I tell you! -”And he tweets pictures of his food.” Greg, torturing Regina aside (Which is also pretty fucking horrendous), you are just the WORST person! -Leroy’s apparently a movie buff. Who knew? -”We need to tell Regina’s she’s been framed.” Yesss! Thank you, Snow! I’m not mad at anyone for not immediately thinking of her given the crisis, but I am happy that someone did (Actually, some two because of Snow and Ruby!). Also, it enriches their dynamics going forward! Also, credit to her for understanding the internal danger Cora poses to Regina! I’m seriously loving Snow this season! -”You better hope he dies.” I like the strength of the writing in this line. It’s the driving force for the morality that Emma and co are tasked with thinking about, however inactively, throughout the segment. -”It’s not murder if we let him succumb to his injuries.” “I’m pretty sure it is.” It totally is! Look, for all the moral conflict of this episode, it’s totally murder and I’m glad that the character framed as the one closer to the audience is the one aware of that. -Gee, did Disney buy Star Wars at around this time? I’ve no idea! -”Rumple Von Stiltskin.” Imagine if that’s actually how his name was structured! XD -”Are you a philanthropist?” “Well, I’ve been called worse.” Rumple’s also gotten great quips! -*Rumple sees box* ...August? “Hello, Rumple.” Ah! Cora! What a fakeout! -”The Crocodile snaps at the little bird.” I guess Killian’s vernacular grew on Cora throughout their time together. Now though, I want to know what animal Killian is. What animal is everyone?! -A moment of silence for the deleted Jello scene that never made it to air. A-woman. -Cora, do not smell Regina’s clothes! That is fucking creepy! -Disguising yourself as Henry? Cora, that is a new low! And your former low already bonked Hades’ blue head! -Cora, go away! You’ve been in Regina’s sights for all of a quarter of a second and you’ve already given Regina a panic attack! -I feel like the only reason Rumple held up that magnifying glass was so that the effects team could show off just how well they did his eyes. -Regina’s hiding spot is so beautiful! She has a gorgeous albino apple tree, christmas lights, jewels all around, and gorgeous wallpaper! Fuck the monarchy! Go into interior design! -”Determination.” Cora, shut up, you are not an Undertale character. ...Actually, you totally could pass as Chara. -”Emma and Henry and the two idiots.” I love how small, but still funny that line was. -Okay, so I totally want Ruby to just run on her own in my “Wacky Races” dream fic because holy shit! She’s fast! -I’m not sure if Gerhardt beating the crap out of his father for verbally assaulting Victor is the most disturbing thing I’ve ever seen or the most heartwarming. -”It seems that science does too [have a price].” Bro, do you even physics?! -I’m not going to write down Ruby’s entire speech, but I do like the concept of looking at bright sides to Regina’s curse. It’s definitely not an admission that it was a good deed nor should it be, but in this isolated incident, it’s interesting to see Ruby and Whale commiserate over things. -Also, serious props to Ruby for cutting Whale’s self-hate monologue to get to the situation at hand. XD -”These carriages are strange.” I wonder if Cora was actually serious when she says this! XD I mean, cars are probably intimidating to those not familiar with them. -”It’s one of my most treasured possessions.” Awww! -It’s so freaky seeing Gerhardt moving around in his undead state. He’s like a gorilla in the way he moves his arms and legs and the way he cowers and sits. What a cool take on Frankenstein’s monster! Like that, more than anything would make me interested in a follow-up Frankenstein flashback. -I feel so bad for Snow as she’s being let down about not going into Greg’s room, but I can’t help but laugh. Like Snow, the fuck, bro? -”It’s a cup.” Am I the only one getting a sense of deja vu from “A Bug’s Life” here? XD -Greg, you sly dog! You, Killian, and Cora could bag Best Acting Awards until you die! -”I was texting.” ...While not my exact situation, this was too fucking real… -I love that globe and wish we saw more of it! On topic, everyone in Storybrooke should keep a private sampling of blood just for safekeeping at this point for identity purposes. -Awww! Poor Emma! Henry, just let her sleep! And then Gold comes in! The poor woman! -”If any harm comes to Belle while I’m gone, I’m killing all of you.” ...Was anyone in that room trying to hurt Belle? For the wham line it was supposed to be, it doesn’t come back in a meaningful way and it’s so oddly aimed. I guess this was written before Colin got hurt and maybe Killian was supposed to go after her again? Arcs - How are These Storylines Progressing? Rumple’s Redemption - As much as my inner sense of empathy is judging Rumple, his decision to essentially say “fuck off” to the request to help Greg is pretty in-character. Not only is he dealing with the anger over losing Belle and essentially letting Killian get away with it without killing him (Which is in itself a pretty great stride that holds through from his decision in the previous episode), but yeah, for as much as I like Rumple and think that the writing does an excellent job of painting him as not a complete fucking monster, I put the word ‘complete’ in there for a reason. Rumple still has a long way to go until he reaches a point where he can care for someone whose outside of his tiny circle of love, and for whatever can be said about his relations to Emma and David, they’re not at a point where they’re strong enough where he’d give them that much concern. Regina’s Redemption - “I have to let you know. I had nothing to do with Archie.” I almost feel like I can leave it there, but nah. You deserve more! So, just as much as Regina wants Henry to be by her side regardless as for as much as her attempted redemption had hurt her thus far, Regina’s still committed to doing right by Henry, and that’s amazing! Furthermore, Regina shows that even if she didn’t accept her treatment when the accusations came around over Archie’s death, she does accept that given the circumstances, it was a reasonable assumption to make. Honestly, the entirity of Regina’s scenes with Cora speak of how far she’s come, as she stands against Cora’s points over why she framed Regina. Obviously, part of what made Regina go as evil as she did was Cora’s influence, and seeing her work so hard to not let Cora control her again was just so impressive! Hell, even gives Cora an understanding of what she wants if she’s to trust Cora again. Greg Mendell - We get our first (Okay, second) piece of Greg in this episode. Definitely a good actor and I like how there was this subversion of expectations in this episode (until the ending, of course) while still raising all of the needed points about him and his existence here for later in the season where they would apply. Favorite Dynamic Rumple and Cora - I like how we get to see that Cora’s menace doesn’t just stretch to Regina, but how exactly it stretches to Rumple. Rumple and Cora are on equal footing in a way that Rumple and Regina only came to be during the final two seasons of the show, and that comes across so clearly in just how he acts around her in their one scene together. She’s able to push him a bit and even prompts a deal where he has to hesitantly accept it, and that’s so rarely done, especially by an enemy. Just look at the worry in Rumple’s eye and that bit of trepidation, but he still manages to keep most of his cool. That is how Rumple responds to a real threat. It’s almost karmic retribution for not bothering with Greg (Or trying so hard to keep Cora out of Stroybrooke that she’d let Emma and Snow die), but I don’t know if I would go so far as to say that for certain. Still, their one scene both establishes so much of their dynamic and sets up the board for later. Writer Jane Espenson is back, and she did a decent job here. I like how she balanced the screentime of so much of our main and supporting cast. No one ever feels like they got the shaft and what they were given to do fits their story so well. In addition, I feel like the writing is done very well, particularly with Regina and Cora. The way Regina speaks is a great reflection of the work she’s done as she deflects Cora’s points hit by hit and only succumbs to a situation that was well set up. Jane is really good when it comes to writing Regina, as “We Are Both” was also hers and the depictions of both her past and present character were marvelous! Also, as a side note, she wrote Emma and Killian much better here. There’s clearly animosity, but a level of concern and even flirting off of Emma’s side that is actually allowed to show up for a hot second. Rating 8/10. Style is the name of the game here. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the aesthetics weren’t impressive enough to bring the whole episode up a level. As for the other segments, they ranged in quality, but were more good than bad, though since Whale was the main segment, the shortcomings of that story stood out more. But thankfully, it wasn’t the only portion between the interesting broad strokes of the OUAT rendition of Frankenstein, the true horror story of seeing Cora take over Regina’s life again, and the small inner workings of Emma and co in the background as they react to all of this. Flip My Ship - Home of All Things “Shippy Goodness” Rumbelle - I noticed that just as the episode started, Rumple was calling Belle “Beautiful Belle” as the authorities were coming for her. That’s small, but pretty cute! And you just gotta feel for Rumple as he tries so desperately to make Belle remember him. While I’m not really sure if I like or dislike the failed TLK, the cup scene absolutely accomplishes what it sets out to do. Also, “do you have any spells to return memories?” Just look at Rumple here. He looks so nervous as he’s asking, as fragile as a young schoolboy! And he does that in front of CORA! That is adorable for Rumbelle! Captain Swan - Killian just gets hit by a freakin’ CAR and the first thing he says is, “Hey beautiful.” Killian, never change! ...Actually, yeah. You need to change a lot, but fortunately, you do! Hell, even Emma gives into the flirting a bit after a bit! Also, “everything else is still intact.” KIllian, could you be any more obvious?! Also also, Emma’s pretty keen on keeping an eye on Killian despite the fact that he’s handcuffed. Finally, Emma’s reaction to Rumple’s threat to kill Hook at the end of the episode...looks like she does care. Golden Heart - ”I’ve no reason to cheat you.” “Anymore.” Looks like we’ve got some angry exes! XD Also, notice how Rumple’s lingering juuuuuust a bit during that kiss! You dog! ()()()()()()()()() Finally! Another really good episode to talk about and get pumped over!! Thank you so much for reading and to the awesomesauce fine folks at @watchingfairytales for making like Frankenstein and bringing my creations to life! Bwahahahahha!

Any guesses on what will happen next time? I’ll give you a tiiiiiiiiny hint: It’s one of my favorites. See you then! Season 2 Tally (104/220) Writer Tally for Season 2: Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis: (29/60) Jane Espenson (25/50) Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg (24/50) David Goodman (16/30) Robert Hull (16/30) Christine Boylan (7/30) Kalinda Vazquez (10/30) Daniel Thomsen (10/20)

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